sometimes it's better to not know
by Xephonia
Summary: Shark does not talk to Yuuma anymore because he's found out that he isn't human. One of the Barian Emperors is what he is. When Yuuma follows Shingetsu Rei, he finds out a lot of things about Kamishiro Ryouga.
"Akari, I gotta run, I'm late!" Yuuma shouts as he leaves for school.

He hasn't done his homework, he's forgotten to copy Kotori's homework and Ryouga isn't here anymore so he can't copy Ryouga's homework, either.

Yuuma is known for copying others' homework, so forgetting to do so is just the thing he does not want to happen.

Detention is what he does not want to happen.

So when Yuuma sees Shingetsu, late as always, he decides to take advantage of that and follows him. Shingetsu sees him, smiles and nods, so Yuuma takes that as an 'okay'.

Yuuma has never spent much thought on Shingetsu. Shingetsu Rei and him are in the same grade - Shingetsu has transferred in the middle of the year, and not much is known of him beyond the fact that he's come from the Barian Academy and that he smiles a lot.

Of course, Yuuma knows about that school; it's the school Ryouga transferred to one year ago, as soon as his sister woke up from her coma. The Barian Academy is a private school, specialized on helping students with... difficulties.

'Difficulties' can mean a lot, of course. In Rio's case, it's that she aimed to catch up with the school stuff she's missed during her coma as soon as possible, so a school with resources like the Barian Academy was perfect for her. And Ryouga just followed her because he is, well, Ryouga.

And then one day Ryouga came up to Yuuma, telling him how students of the Barian Academy were all not human (and that the 'not human' aspect involved transformations into beings made of rock and without a mouth, apparently) and how that's totally a reason to not get involved with him anymore. Apparently Ryouga had forgotten for a while that he was a Barian, or so he said - Yuuma doesn't really understand the details anyway. All he knows is that Ryouga avoids him now.

Of course, Yuuma insisted he didn't care what Ryouga was, but just like he didn't care about that, Ryouga didn't care about whether Yuuma cared or not (or so he said), and that was it.

Now Ryouga and Rio are in some sort of clique with their childhood friend and 4 other guys. They've all taken up nicknames based on stars and only want to be addressed with those. Go figure. They call themselves the 'Seven Barian Emperors' (but one of them has apparently dropped out recently, so they're six now).

Yuuma isn't sure what to think of that clique thing - he hasn't even seen all of the other members yet (Not even Rio's and Shark's childhood friend, Durbe). Aside from Shark and Rio, he just knows Alit, because Alit likes Yuuma a lot and feels bad for what Shark does.

That clique thing definitely has resulted in Ryouga talking less - even less than before - to him and Yuuma wonders if it's more than just a clique... but he figures he should give Ryouga his time to adjust, even though it's been more than a year now.

And that very Shingetsu Rei that Yuuma is following right now used to be a student from the Barian Academy, apparently. Yuuma thinks that's strange, why would anyone want to transfer away from a rich school like that? Yuuma tries to not spend too much thought on it. He doesn't even mind the fact Shingetsu is definitely not human, the boy doesn't seem like he's mean, after all.

Yuuma knows very few things about Shingetsu. He's always late and he doesn't take the shortest way to Heartland Academy. But since Yuuma and Shingetsu aren't friends and haven't ever spoken to each other (even after knowing of each other's existence), Yuuma has never bothered with finding out Shingetsu's methods of going to school.

Until today.

In all honesty, Yuuma has not expected the way Shingetsu takes to be the way through the sewers. He also hasn't expected to lose Shingetsu's track thanks to the darkness and subsequently get lost in the sewers.

Yuuma also hasn't taken into consideration that Shingetsu wearing headphones pretty much means shouting won't help. Yuuma still shouts for him.

But the situation gets worse when he reaches for his phone and realizes it's not where it's supposed to be.

After an hour of aimlessly walking in the sewers, he gives up. So for the lack of food (he's forgotten it at home), he leans against the sewer wall and takes a nap, thinking it might restore some energy (but really he's just tired, because he's Yuuma).

* * *

"Yuuma."

When Yuuma wakes up, the first thing he does is to stare at his watch.

2 PM. No school then. _Akari will kill me._

He then looks up to see violet hair and blue eyes. And his phone. He takes it gratefully.

"Thanks, Shark! But how did you know I was here? ...And my phone, I guess?" Yuuma scratches the back of his head. He was used to Ryouga appearing when he was in trouble, but this just seemed too unlikely to be Ryouga's intuition.

Ryouga pulls him to his feet and stops a moment to glare at Yuuma's necklace, the Emperor's Key. Then he speaks. "Your phone, I tracked it. The rest wasn't hard to do."

Yuuma knows Ryouga likes water; he hasn't known that Ryouga knows how to not get lost in the sewers, not until now at least.

"I mean, how did you even know I was lost?" Yuuma swipes a bit of dirt off his pants. He notices Ryouga is still wearing that Barian Emblem, but he quickly dismisses thoughts about that.

"Kotori." Ryouga starts walking and Yuuma follows. "She said you didn't come to school and Akari didn't know either, so Kotori asked me if I knew anything."

"Ah." Yuuma's expression darkens. "Akari will kill me."

Ryouga doesn't answer, instead he leads Yuuma through the sewers, and Yuuma feels like it's not the first time Ryouga has been here.

"Does the Barian Academy teach that?" Yuuma asks, and he grins. He's half-serious and half-joking because it's highly unlikely that a school would teach their students things like navigating through the sewers, but then again Shingetsu used to be there and Ryouga is there, and they both seem to know the sewers like their second home.

"Teach what?" Ryouga doesn't look at him. Yuuma realizes how different Ryouga has become ever since he transferred. It's still Ryouga, but different.

"This sewer thing. You seem to go here a lot, and so does my schoolmate Shingetsu, so I figured..."

"Did you say Shingetsu?!" Ryouga looked at Yuuma, his expression furious. The atmosphere has changed within seconds.

Yuuma is confused, but replies nonetheless. "Y-Yes?"

"Did he lead you down here?!"

"Not... exactly? Well, he smiled before I followed him but we didn't talk and-"

"Vector, that bastard," Ryouga hisses as he starts to walk faster.

Yuuma tilts his head but then decides to keep up with Ryouga's pace. "Isn't Vector one of the Seven Barian Emperors? The one that dropped out?"

"Yeah, but his real name's Shingetsu Rei." Ryouga bits his lip and he draws blood a little. "That idiot thinks he's funny. What's he even doing at your school?"

"Well, he just appeared one day... but really, Shingetsu seems like a nice guy! He smiles a lot and doesn't ever trouble anyone." The only reason why Yuuma insists is that he doesn't want Ryouga to do stupid things, Ryouga can get really nasty when he's angry.

Ryouga scowls. "Remember IV? That guy smiles a lot, too."

They were getting along with IV now, but before that it was worse than hell. Still. "You're friends with IV now!"

"I left that behind me. I'm a Barian." Ryouga points at the ladder in front of them. "If you go up there, you should be able to find the way on your own."

Ryouga turns to leave, but Yuuma catches his wrist. "Wait, Shark! Where are you going?"

"I'll settle the score with Vector." Ryouga eyes the key for a bit before he yanks his wrist free and walks into the opposite direction, but Yuuma follows him anyway.

"I'm not letting you do that!"

"Stop following me, I told you to not get involved with me anymore."

"But we're friends, Shark!" Yuuma looks and sounds like he isn't going to listen to Ryouga, no matter what . "I'm not gonna go away!"

"Then you'll have to watch me tear him apart."

They keep walking and Yuuma keeps insisting, but Ryouga does not reply anymore.

* * *

"What the hell is this about, Vector?!" Ryouga shouts, and Yuuma winces just a bit because he doesn't want this to happen at all.

A stray cat that was sitting in front of Vector gets scared by the noise and runs away. Vector sighs and pulls his headphones off. He's sitting on a bench in a park that looks like it's been abandoned for years, and he does not bother getting up. Yuuma notices Vector's clothes - it's not Heartland Academy's school uniform anymore, he wears a black jacket now. The contrast is striking.

"What the hell is what about, Nasch?" Vector smiles wryly. This is not the smile Yuuma knows from school.

Ryouga points at Yuuma next to him. "I found this guy lost in the sewers, and we both know you're responsible for that."

Vector shrugs. "And what if I was? It was Yuuma-kun's fault for following me."

"Don't give me that crap! Why are you even still in Heartland, after what you've tried to do to Merag-" Ryouga steps closer.

"Oh?" Vector now actually stands up, his grin is wide. "You're still mad about that?"

Ryouga opens his mouth to yell again, but he is interrupted by Yuuma.

"Both of you, stop fighting! There's no way whatever he's done is good enough a reason to fight now!"

"Stay out of this, Yuuma! This is not about you." Ryouga hisses, and he turns to look at Vector again. "I regret sparing your life last time."

"Don't you mean that you regret being too powerless to kill me? Even after I tried to kill your little sister?" Vector laughs, and it sends a shiver down Yuuma's spine.

"You tried... something like that?" Yuuma whispers. Rio and him used to be friends.

Ryouga's hand reaches toward the Barian Emblem hanging around his neck, but he is stopped when Vector speaks again.

"Are you really gonna Bariarphose in front of your _precious_ Yuuma-kun? He might actually hate you, you know. For not being a monster."

Bariarphose. Yuuma has heard that term. The Barian transformation. He's never seen it, which is unsurprising given that Ryouga avoids him.

"Don't say that!" Yuuma shouts. "I don't care what Shark is, because above all, Shark is my friend."

Ryouga clenches his fists and his lip quivers just a little before he speaks. "I told you to not get involved with me, get lost."

"Shark..." Yuuma took a step back.

"Looks like Nasch ditched you, poor thing." Vector's tone is mocking.

Yuuma can't stand it. "Why are you doing this?!"

It's Ryouga who answers instead. "He's a lost cause, that guy has no soul. And that's why I'll end him right here. Bariarphose!"

Mouthless. Purple skin, gems all over his body. That is what Nasch means when he says he isn't human.

Ryouga has never shown himself in his Barian form in front of him before, but in an odd way, Yuuma thinks it fits Ryouga. Still he can't help but to wonder why Nasch's facial markings remind him tear tracks.

Vector sighs exaggeratedly. "Nasch, don't get so ang-" He can't finish his sentence because he has to dodge an energy blast. "Are you gonna blow up the entire place? I don't mind that, you know, but I think Yuuma-kun does. Well, whatever. Bariarphose!"

Yuuma's eyes widen when he sees wings emerge from Vector's back, followed by the rest of the transformation. Vector looks outright demonic, but he tries to not be bothered by it.

"Get out of here, Yuuma," Nasch hisses.

Yuuma doesn't move an inch. "I'm definitely not gonna let you fight here!" Even without his father alive, the Kattobingu he has inherited from him should help him with this.

That turns out to be a bad choice, because Vector disappears for a split-second, just to reappear behind Yuuma.

And Vector tries to do what anyone else would do in that situation, he reaches up to position one of his clawed hands dangerously close to Yuuma's neck, but his arm touches the Emperor's Key as he does.

Vector immediately cries out in pain and moves away from Yuuma as soon as possible, all while rubbing his arm a little. "What the hell is that?!" He reverts to his human form, and stares at his hands. "Why does this undo the Bariarphose?"

"That's my line," Nasch hisses, and he looks at the key that is now glowing slightly. "I've always had a strange feeling about that thing. Guess it comes in useful now."

Yuuma himself is more confused than the two Barians. The key is a keepsake from his father, why would it have this effect? He remembers his father used to be friends with two scientists, but they wouldn't... they wouldn't be involved in any of this, right?

"You piss me off, Nasch," Vector hisses, and Yuuma feels like if Nasch had a mouth, he'd be smirking.

"Looks like you can't transform right now. You're out of options, Vector. " Nasch doesn't hesitate to prepare another attack on Vector now, but Yuuma grabs his arm before he can.

"Stop, Shark," Yuuma says, and he looks more serious than usual. "Vector's no harm at this point, is he? Even if he has tried to do something to your sister... she's alive, so don't worry."

Nasch's left eye, the red one, glows. "I'm not gonna let this guy live." He effortlessly removes Yuuma's hand from his arm.

Yuuma feels compelled to yell, but up until now all he's done was asking them to stop and it isn't working. It's not gonna work if I try again, either, he tells himself. And he decides.

"I'm sorry, Shark. Kattobingu da, ore!" He takes the key off and presses it against the Barian emblem on Nasch's chest. He has to squeeze his eyes shut - both because he feels bad for having to hurt Nasch and also because the light coming from the two objects would blind him otherwise.

Then, the two of them see Nasch's memories.

* * *

 _7 children are sitting inside of a bus. That is a common sight - well, it would be, if they weren't handcuffed._

 _"Stop, leave us alone! Why are you doing this?! Who are you?!" A younger version of Ryouga shouts, and he ignores his sister's worried glance. He also ignores Alit's snoring, ignores the other children - he also ignores Vector who sits next to their cloaked driver and idly tries to open his handcuffs out of boredom._

 _"I am Don Thousand and... you will become Barians," the driver says, and Ryouga clenches his fists. "You wouldn't be missed, anyway - you're orphans, after all."_

* * *

 _When Ryouga wakes up, his skin is purple. He sees it in the mirror. He knows it isn't skin, it feels like rock. He wants to claw his one red eye out, can't stand the sight of it, but is impossible - he's handcuffed._

 _"I've infused your blood with my Barian DNA," he hears Don Thousand's voice through the intercom."I was sure the experiment would work with the genes that you and your friends have. You will grow to become splendid soldiers for my cause."_

 _"And what if we refuse?!" Ryouga hisses, and he is confused that he can speak without a mouth._

 _"You won't be able to. Your memories will be altered." Don Thousand laughs._

* * *

 _"We're the Seven Barian Emperors, then!" Nasch says, and he's having a very positive expression for a small child that has no mouth._

 _"Since we're the seven strongest Barians, that name is only befitting." A blonde Barian with a white mask says._

 _The tallest of the seven nods. "It's strange that we were all born like this, but it's great we're here now, isn't it?"_

 _"Now that we've formed this group, we all have to think of amazing catchphrases. And a ranking." Alit_ (Yuuma recognizes his voice) _chuckles._

* * *

 _"So these are the sewers!" Vector exclaims, and an expression of mischief makes its way onto his face. "We could play hide and seek in here!"_

 _Nasch sighs. "What are you doing here, Vector?"_

 _"I wondered what you were doing." Vector laughs._

 _Nasch knows Vector obviously can't stand him, but he still replies. "Don't pretend as if you care." He scowls and he looks into the distance. "...The sewers lead to the beach, and we aren't allowed out at night, so I had to use this way."_

 _"So our great Nasch has been sneaking out all the time?" Vector shrugs. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."_

 _Nasch decides to not think about it too much, although he's not sure if he really should not worry._

* * *

 _"Who are you? What do you want from me and Merag?!" Ryouga shouts, and Rio looks at the blonde man in front of them with curious eyes. They were in their human forms._

They aren't much older than what they were in the previous memories, _Yuuma concludes._

 _"I am Dr. Faker." The scientist says._

 _Tsukumo Kazuma (_ Yuuma mentally gasps when he sees his father _) joins them from behind a corner. He smiles. "Who are those children, Faker?"_

 _"Barians. I ordered my men to get them since we were told that were around the sewers. Maybe with their power, I can cure Haruto."_

 _"What do you want from us?!" Ryouga shouts, impatient. "Let us go!"_

 _"I might. After I'm done with the experiments."_

* * *

What follows is a quick succession of images of said experiments. But all Yuuma really notices are Ryouga's bloodcurdling screams.

* * *

 _"You two have outlived your usefulness. Even with the Barian power, Haruto does not get better." Faker is holding a syringe, he looks angry. A coughing child lies in a bed in the corner of the room._ Yuuma wonders if that's Haruto.

 _Kazuma shakes his head as he clutches the Emperor's key. "Don't do that, Faker! They're just children, you have no reason to kill or even harm them. We have the key, so they can't harm us, either."_

 _"But we can't let them tell Don Thousand about this, or else he will go after us," Faker says, and he walks closer to Rio and Ryouga._

 _Ryouga immediately positions himself in front of Rio protectively, but she steps right back next to him, holds his pinky with hers, as if to remind Ryouga of a promise._

 _A man whose hair is tied in a braid enters the room. "Faker, just alter their memories. Killing them would do no good. I know how you feel, but this is not okay."_

 _"Byron!" Kazuma exclaims, and he smiles._

 _Faker sighs. "Very well. I will have to make arrangements so we have a legal guardian for them until they can care for themselves."_

* * *

 _"Remember who you are." It's Don Thousand who says it, and it's Ryouga - apparently around one year ago - who sits in front of him, scowling._

 _Don Thousand presses the Barian crest against Ryouga's chest, and in a flash of light Ryouga is transformed into his Barian self._

 _"I am a Barian... I am Nasch, one of the Seven Emperors."_

* * *

The flow of memories abruptly stops and Yuuma feels the sweat flow down his neck. He knows what he's just seen.

"Shark... your... memories?" It's only a whisper, for he can't get out more than that.

Ryouga - who has reverted to his human form - looks equally shocked when his gaze meets Yuuma's. "It seems that... your Key has restored my memory to it's original state. This is pathetic. My memories were altered by both Don Thousand and Dr. Faker, and I couldn't do anything." He bites his lip to not show his frustration.

"And now explain yourself, Vector!" He turns to the direction where Vector had been, but nothing is to be seen of the Barian Emperor. Ryouga turns to walk, slowly.

"Shark!" Yuuma looks at Ryouga with pleading eyes.

Ryouga sighs. "Sorry, I need time to think."

And those words are enough for Yuuma, because he believes in Ryouga.

* * *

Ryouga still ends up escorting Yuuma home, because it's getting late and Yuuma doesn't know the way and someone needs to explain to Akari what actually has happened.

Before he leaves, Ryouga gives Yuuma his phone Number - he'd changed it after returning to the Barian Academy, so Yuuma didn't have it - with the words 'In case there's an emergency'.

And before Yuuma can hug him, he leaves.

Instead of returning to the Barian Academy, he goes to the beach.

As he sits in the mild breeze, he hopes that the ocean would have an answer to his question.

"What am I supposed to do now?"

Instead of the ocean answering, his phone buzzes.

A text message. By Yuuma.

 _[Hello, Shark! Wanna go the new aquarium tomorrow?]_

 _An idiot._ Ryouga sighs, but a smile makes its way onto his face.

He lets himself fall backwards into the sand and types a reply:

 _[Meet me at 3 PM, stay away from the sewers, and don't be late.]_


End file.
